"Goku Only Cares About Fighting (And Food)"

[LunarMoon]

And why would it be? He'd obviously prefer to fight someone strong without his friend dying, but that doesn't mean fighting isn't number one on his list. Toriyama stated this a few posts up. Read dbzfan7's post.

"Number 1" on his list implies that when push comes to shove, he'll choose one over the other, and I can't see him choosing a fight with Tambourine over his friend (priority #2?). Toriyama just said that wants, "nothing other than to get stronger;" this can't be taken literally, because obviously he cares about other things as well. What it can be taken to mean, though, is that he cares a great deal about becoming stronger, which is obvious.

[Kaboom]

Obviously Goku wouldn't do something like choose fighting a strong opponent over saving a friend's life. If he has a choice between a match with Vegeta or pressing the big red "stop" button on the timer for the bomb strapped to Kuririn's face... he's gonna press the button. THEN he'll try to find Vegeta and throw down.

He would, however, do something like totally blow off his oldest friend's landmark "38th" birthday party which all his friends and family are attending to just go train at Kaio's instead.

[KentalSSJ6]

Obviously Goku wouldn't do something like choose fighting a strong opponent over saving a friend's life. If he has a choice between a match with Vegeta or pressing the big red "stop" button on the timer for the bomb strapped to Kuririn's face... he's gonna press the button. THEN he'll try to find Vegeta and throw down.

He would, however, do something like totally blow off his oldest friend's landmark "38th" birthday party which all his friends and family are attending to just go train at Kaio's instead.

And whats the first thing that comes to his mind when Kaio mentions big trouble?

Bulma. Is. Coming.

[RandomGuy96]

Obviously Goku wouldn't do something like choose fighting a strong opponent over saving a friend's life

Actually, that's pretty much exactly what he did when fighting Pure Buu.

[Saiga]

Wasn't it pretty much the opposite? Not launching the Spirit Bomb so he didn't endanger Vegeta's life?

[Lord Exor]

I doubt if a murder would to kill 80 people...I doubt Goku would care unless the murder is a strong foe. GreatSaiyaman MIGHT care. But Goku would't.

Killing people for kicks and giggles is a great way to tick Goku off (which is why it amused Vegeta to do so at the World Tournament). Gohan would definitely care. He risked getting himself and Krillin killed just to save Dende.

Fighting seems to take precedence over them though since he's willing to take risks to receive a challenge. I.E. letting Freeza power up to 100%.

If fighting took precedence over his friends and family...he would be Vegeta prior to the Buu Saga.

Did you read my post? I said Goku wouldn't care UNLESS the murderer was STRONG. Majin Vegeta is STRONG!

The power level of his opponent is entirely irrelevant. Goku was visibly chafed by Gero's wanton destruction, particularly since the entire ordeal was instigated by the dastardly doctor in a concerted effort to prod him. In other words, Gero was trolling by intentionally misapprehending Goku's words. If such a thing couldn't vex Goku, I doubt someone as calculating as Gero would attempt it; he wanted to inflict pain on the saiyan and bask in his agony.

[TheGmGoken]

I doubt if a murder would to kill 80 people...I doubt Goku would care unless the murder is a strong foe. GreatSaiyaman MIGHT care. But Goku would't.

What? You seriously think that if Goku witnessed a gunman kill people in cold blood he wouldn't put a stop to it? You think he's that apaphetic?
And I don't see how you can put Gohan down as a maybe Gohan would be pretty pissed off.

I'm talking about if Goku hears it on tv or something

[RandomGuy96]

Wasn't it pretty much the opposite? Not launching the Spirit Bomb so he didn't endanger Vegeta's life?

Well, that moment aside (seriously Goku, you can wish him back), the whole fight basically proved what Goku really cared about. Old Kaioshin had a way of easily defeating Buu and saving everyone, but Goku refused, even though all of his friends and family were dead and very well could have stayed that way if he didn't win, just because fighting Buu one on one would be more fun. Then he went with Vegeta's dumb plan instead of bringing in Gohan.

I also wouldn't count Vegeta under the category of "Goku's friends and family". Vegeta was basically a stranger.

[Herms]

Goku sometimes displays "do-gooder" motivation, but it always ultimately seems to lose out to his desire to fight strong guys.

His battle against Piccolo and his henchmen seems largely driven by his desire to avenge his friends who were killed, but in the end he decides to let Piccolo's reincarnation go because "it'd be boring without a rival".

When fighting Freeza, at first he talks big about avenging the Saiyans and Namekians, and even worries that it he doesn't stop Freeza there on Namek it will be bad news for the rest of the universe. But in the end he stops the fight when it gts boring and opts to let Freeza go, telling him to hone his skills for a rematch. After Mecha Freeza's attack on Earth though, he does tell Trunks that he had planned on finally finishing Freeza off this time because he didn't seem to have reformed at all.

He doesn't like killing for the sake of killing, and so doesn't finish off Nappa or the Ginyu Firce once they're beaten, but that hardly makes him humanitarian of the year. In fact, casually telling Jheese to go back to his home planet can be seen as rather immoral, since Jheese is evil and an invincible monster as far as 99% of the universe is concerned. Letting him go free just because he poses him no challenge shows a tunnel-minded disregard for the rest of the universe.

During his big speech as Goku battles Boo, Vegeta says that Goku isn't concerned about taking his opponents' lives because he fights to push his own limits. But he goes on to say that Goku spared his life seemingly as if he knew that one day he'd reform.

and through retcon he had spared Dr. Gero.

I'm not sure what you mean. In the manga and Japanese anime, nothing is ever said about Goku encountering Gero, let alone sparing him.

Unless you count him rejecting Bulma's suggestion that they just take out Gero before he makes the androids they were warned about, but that's not a retcon. Speaking of which, that's another major data point supporting the idea that Goku values fighting challenging opponents over any moral concerns.

[LunarMoon]

Goku sometimes displays "do-gooder" motivation, but it always ultimately seems to lose out to his desire to fight strong guys.

It only really lost out with Vegeta and Piccolo. You're thinking of Vegeta, who actually became infamous for it, and almost more trouble than he was worth, by constantly letting each villain get to their final form. Huge contrast.

In fact, casually telling Jheese to go back to his home planet can be seen as rather immoral, since Jheese is evil and an invincible monster as far as 99% of the universe is concerned. Letting him go free just because he poses him no challenge shows a tunnel-minded disregard for the rest of the universe.

Not immoral. Goku is Stupid Good. He actually believed that Frieza and the members of the Ginyu Force would reform themselves after being defeated. He's not a bad person; he's an unfathonably dense one. He is insanely naive.

I doubt if a murder would to kill 80 people...I doubt Goku would care unless the murder is a strong foe. GreatSaiyaman MIGHT care. But Goku would't.

What? You seriously think that if Goku witnessed a gunman kill people in cold blood he wouldn't put a stop to it? You think he's that apaphetic?
And I don't see how you can put Gohan down as a maybe Gohan would be pretty pissed off.

I'm talking about if Goku hears it on tv or something

I find even that to be doubtful. Most people care about events such as 9/11 or the Virginia Tech Massacre, both of which are touchy subjects to joke about. Goku's a good deal more sympathetic towards others than the average person, and Gohan is far more sympathetic. The average person when granted nigh unstoppable power probably wouldn't become the Great Saiyaman. A lot of them would probably become the Sentry.

[DBZAOTA482]

He just... a little free-spirited.

[Herms]

It only really lost out with Vegeta and Piccolo. You're thinking of Vegeta, who actually became infamous for it, and almost more trouble than he was worth, by constantly letting each villain get to their final form. Huge contrast.

No, I'm thinking of Goku, which is why I cited specific things which Goku said and did.

I don't think anyone would argue that there is a big difference between Goku and Vegeta's morality. Vegeta spends half the Freeza arc telling Goku not to be so soft, after all. Goku is no sociopath, and performs many good deeds. At the same time, Goku's motives are much closer to Vegeta than they are to, say, a self-declared "champion of justice" like Videl. His driving concern throughout the series is to better himself and fight challenging opponents. Even if it means allowing Gero to build his potentially world-destroying androids, or going off to settle the score with Vegeta rather than help Kaioshin stop Boo's resurrection. And even if it means keeping Piccolo and Vegeta around as powerful rivals, no matter how that might backfire. Or in the end insisting on fighting Boo without the aid of the Potara, even if it could mean the end of the universe.

The desire for a good fight doesn't always conflict with his desire to do good, but when it does, the urge to fight wins out. What counter examples are there? There are many instances of Goku doing good, but never when it conflicts with his desire to train or fight strong guys.

Not immoral. Goku is Stupid Good. He actually believed that Freeza and the members of the Ginyu Force would reform themselves after being defeated. He's not a bad person; he's an unfathonably dense one. He is insanely naive.

As they say, sufficiently advanced stupidity is indistinguishable from malice (something like that, anyway). Letting Freeza go since he had lost interest in fighting him and considered humiliating him vengeance enough doesn't make Goku good just because he wasn't smart enough to consider what consequences that might have for the rest of the universe. Quite the opposite, in fact. Failing to consider the consequences of your actions like that may not be the worst sin in the world, but it's definitely immoral.

And it again shows that Goku's motives aren't in line with a generic do-gooder superhero, the kind parodied by Great Saiyaman. Goku notes that Jheese and Burta are in cahoots with "that evil bastard Freeza", but he just tells them to get lost before they get hurt, and later tries to let Freeza go too, simply because in both cases he'd demonstrated his superior strength and considered that enough. He's not a Galactic Patrolman out to rid the universe of evil-doers; his main interest is in getting stronger and testing his strength against powerful opponents.

[Fionordequester]

What it always seemed like to me was that it wasn't so much that Goku DID care more about fighting than being a good person...but is just INSANELY naive and/or wishy washy. Kind of like how I am sometimes with homework and the internet...

"Man, I know how important it is to study for that test...but I can surely put that off for ONE more hour...of course...yeah...totally"

And then 2 hours later...

"Well, I guess I gotta go study for...oh...wait...I HAVE TO STUDY ALL THIS?!? WHAT WAS I THINKING?! NOOOOOOOOO!!!"

That's how I always took it. He's impulsive, and also EXTREMELY careless.

[Kid Buu]

The power level of his opponent is entirely irrelevant. Goku was visibly chafed by Gero's wanton destruction, particularly since the entire ordeal was instigated by the dastardly doctor in a concerted effort to prod him. In other words, Gero was trolling by intentionally misapprehending Goku's words. If such a thing couldn't vex Goku, I doubt someone as calculating as Gero would attempt it; he wanted to inflict pain on the saiyan and bask in his agony.

Yeah, Goku even asks Gero to fight at an isolated area so no one would get hurt.

[LunarMoon]

At the same time, Goku's motives are much closer to Vegeta than they are to, say, a self-declared "champion of justice" like Videl.

Vegeta was straight-up evil, and ended up literally killing more people than Hitler. Most people’s morals are far closer to those of Videl than to those of Pre-Buu Saga Vegeta (even convicted felons often have a child-killing taboo).

or going off to settle the score with Vegeta rather than help Kaioshin stop Boo's resurrection.

It’s the exact opposite. Goku didn’t want to fight Vegeta, but Vegeta forced him into doing so by threatening to kill hundreds of people. He then continued to nag at him about quitting the fight, up until Vegeta finally knocked him out.

Or in the end insisting on fighting Boo without the aid of the Potara, even if it could mean the end of the universe.

He didn’t; Vegeta crushed his potara first on both occasions, and his immediate response towards him was to berate him about it, before doing so again at a later point, inadvertently letting Buu in on the fact that they couldn’t fuse again.

What counter examples are there? There are many instances of Goku doing good, but never when it conflicts with his desire to train or fight strong guys.

The two above.

As they say, sufficiently advanced stupidity is indistinguishable from malice (something like that, anyway).

“It’s the thought that counts”/ “he means well”/ “his heart’s in the right place.” Inadvertently screwing things up doesn’t make someone evil or immoral, though you can begrudge them for their incompetence.

He's not a Galactic Patrolman out to rid the universe of evil-doers; his main interest is in getting stronger and testing his strength against powerful opponents.

He doesn’t proactively hunt down evildoers, but his actions show that he does care about more than fighting and food, and that he actually has a strong moral compass, stronger in many ways than that of most superheroes in the Marvel and DC universe.

[Monkey D Goku]

As others have said Goku only cares about what his interested in.

Although that's not to say he won't help someone if he sees they need it but he doesn't actively go look for people to help like Gohan does.

[LunarMoon]

Although that's not to say he won't help someone if he sees they need it but he doesn't actively go look for people to help like Gohan does.

This I agree with. He helps out characters such as Turtle, and cares about doing so, and will risk his life against characters such as Majin Vegeta to stop them from murdering others, but we never see him travel around or proactively make a career out of it like Gohan did.